People are sharing which great American hero they’d add to Mount Rushmore

What legendary non-president deserves to be the 5th face?

Apr 30, 2025

Photo credit: via Wikimedia Commons – Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed the Mount Rushmore National Memorial and oversaw the project’s execution from 1927 to 1941. The sculptor also chose the four presidents who are carved into granite on the mountain’s face. He selected the four presidents to represent the nation’s birth (George Washington), growth (Thomas Jefferson), development (Theodore Roosevelt) and preservation (Abraham Lincoln).

Since the faces on Mount Rushmore were first chiseled into granite there have been debates over which presidents also deserve to be on the monument. Two years ago, then-President Donald Trump floated the idea that he deserved to have his face carved in granite.

A Reddit user posed an interesting question to the online forum about the famous monument and it sparked a great conversation. “You get to add another American to Mt. Rushmore but it can’t be a president. Who do you choose?”

That’s a tough question to answer but a fun one to ponder. What criteria does one use to choose the greatest American that ever lived who wasn’t a president? More than 545 million people have lived in the country over the past 244 years. How do we choose one?

Do you select someone from the world of sports, science, the arts, literature, civil rights, religion, military or healthcare? What about someone who performed a heroic deed? Someone that would be hilarious next to these fabled statesmen? A fictional character? There are so many choices!

mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — You'll definitely want to visit Mount Rushmore if they start adding people from this list. Giphy

To weight the responses on the Reddit post, I looked at the number of upvotes each suggestion received and then ranked them. It’s not the most scientific way of doing things but it gives us a pretty good idea about who people think should make it to the monument.

Here are the top 20 most popular responses to the burning question: “Which non-president should be added to Mount Rushmore?”

1.

“Dr. Jonas Salk. Saved us all from polio.” — Barefoot_Alvin

Salk invented the polio vaccine in 1955. Soon thereafter, the disease was essentially eradicated after killing a stunning half a million people per year for the previous several decades. This man, this hero, would certainly have strong thoughts if he were alive today.

jonas salk, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — Salk worked incredibly hard to develop a lifesaving vaccine. Wonder what he'd think about RFK Jr? By SAS Scandinavian Airlines – Commons

2.

“There is already a non-president on Mt. Rushmore. John Cena.” — zoqforpik

The Reddit user is clearly referencing the wrestler’s catchphrase.

john cena, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — Is John Cena in the room with us right now? Giphy

3.

“Dolly Parton.” — Airos42

A true legend in her field, with plenty of longevity and a huge heart. I can see it.

4.

“Mr. Rogers.” — PitchforkJoe

One of the best human beings to ever live. How rare is it for a man to achieve this level of fame without a single controversy or scandal? Oh, sorry, we’re forgetting about the one time he did piss off a lot of viewers — for taking a stand against racial inequality on his show.

mr. rogers, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — A famous heterosexual white man without a scandal to be seen. Giphy

5.

“Mark Twain. The quintessential American writer. We always put up statues of military and politicians across this country. It would be nice to see more of our creative side get honored. Put up Poe on the mountain. Attract goths to the site.” — inksmudgedhands

6.

“Martin Luther King Jr.” — bahamuto

A great and noble choice. Few people did more to advance social progress in the United States than Martin Luther King, Jr., who did so at great cost. If anyone deserves to live forever in granite, it’s him.

7.

“How is Nicolas Cage not here yet?” — deus_vult

Nicolas Cage has had an amazing redemption arc that puts him up there with some of the greatest American heroes. A few years ago he was considered a washed-up, no-talent actor who’s best days and films were behind him. After a rough string of B-movies, he somehow earned “cult favorite” status and began stacking up an incredible filmography. Not too many people come back from that kind of soft-cancelling. That’s the American dream, right?

nicolas cage, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — Coming back from the edge of irrelevance is the real American dream. Giphy

8.

“John Wilkes Booth but he’s further back behind Lincoln.” — Jakovosol0

Oof. Still too soon?

9.

“Benjamin Franklin.” — FinnbarMcBride

It’s a common misconception that Ben Franklin invented electricity. He didn’t. But he did discover that lightning was a form of electrical discharge, so if it weren’t for him, we’d all still be frolicking around in thunderstorms without a care in the world! Thanks, Ben.

ben franklin, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — What's under those pantaloons? Giphy

10.

“Sacagawea.” — bivalve_connisseur

The Louisiana Territory, ever heard of it? Without Sacagawea as their guide, Lewis and Clark never could have made the perilous journey across what is now a stretch of land containing Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and more. She was only a teenager at the time. Sadly, she died in her early twenties — just think of what other historical impact she may have made.

sacagawea, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — Lewis and Clark get way more fanfare than they deserve. Giphy

11.

“Homer Simpson.” — EonClaw

If we’re considering fictional characters, this discussions starts to get a whole lot more interesting.

12.

“Bob Ross.” — j-oats

13.

“Weird Al.” — OntarioLakeside

No one did more for the genre of satirical polka parodies of pop songs than Weird Al.

weird al, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — Weird Al turned parody into a true art form. Giphy

14.

“Frederick Douglass.” — kade22

15.

“Betty White.” — Diatrial

If you really think about it, everything started going downhill after Betty White passed away at the age of 99. No one had a bad word to say about her. She definitely has a strong case for being included on Mount Rushmore 2.0.

16.

The person who started the thread chimed in with their nominee.

“Neil Armstrong would be my number one.” — taint_licking_clown

17.

“Harriet Tubman.” — 44cksSake

She freed hundreds of slaves during her time as an operator of the Underground Railroad and through other activist work. A remarkable feat for people who otherwise would have continued to suffer unimaginable cruelty.

18.

“Ronnie James Dio!” — kevinthegeek21

If you don’t know Ronnie, you probably know him by his greatest achievement: He invented the iconic “devil horns” commonly associated with heavy metal and rock music.

19.

“Maria Darlene Pearson or Hai-Mecha Eunka (lit. ‘Running Moccasins’) (July 12, 1932 – May 23, 2003) was an activist who successfully challenged the legal treatment of Native American human remains. A member of the Turtle Clan of the Yankton Sioux which is a federally recognized tribe of Yankton Dakota, she was one of the primary catalysts for the creation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Her actions led to her being called ‘the Founding Mother of the modern Indian repatriation movement’ and ‘the Rosa Parks of NAGPRA.” — CTeam19

20.

“Danny DeVito.” — distantshadow

Alright, DeVito is a legend and all, but we’re really starting to stretch here. Even Danny would agree:

danny devito, mount rushmore, greatest american, reddit, presidents, heroes, mt. rushmore, south dakota, legends, icons — Danny DeVito is all set with his current level of fame. Giphy

This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

Add to Google News

More for You

In Partnership With Operation Smile →

An Operation Smile volunteer reverses an oxygen mask so a child with a cleft condition can blow a bubble for the first time in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Operation Smile Photos)

Family, Science

How Bubbles Help Kids with Cleft Conditions

For thousands of children born with cleft conditions, Operation Smile provides simple, playful tools—like bubbles—to strengthen the skills they need to speak and thrive.

Sarah Watts

5/11/2026

While a bottle of bubbles might seem out of place in a hospital setting, you might be surprised to learn that, for thousands of children around the world born with cleft lip and palate, they can be a helpful tool in comprehensive cleft care. Lilia, who was born with cleft lip and palate in 2020, is one of the many patients who received this care.

As a toddler, Lilia underwent two surgeries to treat cleft lip and palate with Operation Smile’s surgical program in Puebla, Mexico. Because of Operation Smile’s comprehensive care, it wasn’t long before her personality transformed: Lilia went from a quiet and withdrawn toddler to an exuberant, curious explorer, babbling, expressing herself with a variety of sounds, and engaging with others like any child her age.

Lilia is now a healthy five-year-old, with the same cheerful attitude and boundless energy. Her progress is the result of care at every level, from surgery to speech therapy to ongoing support at home—but it’s also evidence that small, sustained interventions throughout it all can make a meaningful difference.

Lilia at age 1, before surgery, and at age 5, 4 years post-surgery

Cleft Conditions: A Global Problem

Since 1982, Operation Smile has provided cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to more than 500,000 patients worldwide with the help of generous volunteers and donors. Cleft conditions are congenital conditions, meaning they are present at birth. With cleft lip and palate, the lip or the roof of the mouth do not form fully during fetal development. Cleft conditions put children at risk for malnutrition and poor weight gain, since their facial structure can make feeding challenging. But cleft conditions can have an enormous social impact as well: Common difficulties with speech can leave kids socially isolated and unable to meet the same developmental milestones as their peers.

Surgery is a vital step in treating cleft conditions, but it’s also just one part of a much larger solution. Organizations like Operation Smile emphasize the importance of multi-disciplinary teams that provide comprehensive, long-term care to patients across many years. This approach, which includes oral care, speech therapy, nutritional support, and psychosocial care, not only aids in physical recovery from surgery but also helps children develop the skills and confidence to eat easily, speak clearly, and engage in everyday life. This ensures that each patient receives the full range of support they need to thrive.

Marie, 11 months, with her mother at Operation Smile Madagascar before her cleft surgery (Operation Smile Photos)

A Playful (and Powerful) Solution

Throughout a patient’s care, simple tools like bubbles can play a meaningful role from start to finish.

Immediately before surgery, children are often in a new and unfamiliar environment far from home, some of them experiencing a hospital setting for the first time. When care providers or loved ones blow bubbles, it’s a simple yet effective technique: Not only are the children soothed and distracted, the bubbles also help create a sense of joy and playfulness that eases their anxiety.

Milagros Rojas, a volunteer speech therapist in Peru, using bubbles in a screening with a patient. (Operation Smile Photos)

In speech therapy, bubbles can take on an even more important role. Blowing bubbles requires controlled airflow, as well as the ability to form a rounded “O” shape with the lips, which are skills that children with cleft conditions may struggle to develop. Practicing these skills with bubbles allows children to gently strengthen their facial muscles, improve breath control, and support the motor skills needed for speech development. Beyond that, blowing bubbles can help kids connect with their parents or providers in a way that’s playful, comforting, and accessible even for very young patients.

Finally, bubbles often follow patients with cleft conditions home in the “smile bags” that each patient receives when the surgical procedure is finished. Smile bags, which help continue speech therapy outside of the hospital setting, can contain language enrichment booklets, a mirror, oxygen tubing, and bubbles. While regular practice with motor skills can help with physical recovery, small acts of play help as well, giving kids space to simply enjoy themselves and join in on what peers are able to do.

Bubbles at Home and Beyond

Today, because of Operation Smile’s dedication to comprehensive cleft care, Lilia is now able to make friends and speak clearly, all things that could have been difficult or impossible before. Instead of a childhood defined by limitation, Lilia—and others around the world—can look forward to a childhood filled with joy, learning, discovery, friends, and new possibilities.

CTA: Lilia’s life was changed for the better with the care she received through Operation Smile. Find out how you can make an impact in other children’s lives by visiting operationsmile.org today.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – Desperate mom gives herself an emergency C-section, saving both of their lives

Family, Heroes, Joy, Moms, Popular

Desperate mom of 9 gives herself an emergency C-section, saving both of their lives

She told her kids to get help before passing out.

Jacalyn Wetzel

Upworthy Staff

4/25/2026

Bringing life into the world isn’t always as joyous as the media portrays. Several parents come through childbirth with physical, mental, and emotional trauma. But even among the most traumatic deliveries, the birth story of Inés Ramíez, a mother of nine in Mexico, likely catapults to the top of the list of the world’s most traumatic births.

The International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics reveals in a case report originally published in December 2003, that a 40-year-old mother of nine gave herself an emergency cesarean section and lived to tell the tale. This wasn’t a self-inflicted operation to test her fortitude and pain tolerance. This was an act of desperation, utilizing different areas of personal experience to guide her actions.

The mother lived in Oaxaca, a remote mountain town in Mexico without access to a local hospital. After delivering eight previous children, she’s an expert on how childbirth is supposed to go, but during her eighth pregnancy, something went wrong. Labor didn’t progress as it should’ve, and the baby couldn’t descend through the birth canal properly, resulting in a stillbirth.

Newborn’s first cry marks a fresh beginning. Photo credit: Canva

Living in an extremely rural area with little access to everyday necessities, Ramíez was accustomed to seeing goats slaughtered for food. This knowledge came in handy when she went into labor with her ninth child at home with no other adult around to assist. When her labor stalled, showing the same signs as her previous pregnancy that ended in a stillbirth, the mom became desperate. According to the report she gave the hospital, she knew she had to get the baby out quickly, so she took three shots of hard liquor and cut into her belly. Ramíez’s husband was away deer hunting with no idea what was going on at home.

OBGYN Shannon M. Clark shares the story on her Instagram page explaining how the mother was able to successfully perform her own C-section without dying from blood loss.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shannon M. Clark, MD, FACOG (@babiesafter35)

“She did a right paramedian incision vertically to gain access to her abdomen, so likely she entered somewhere near the midline between the rectus muscles, and then she cut her uterus in the same direction and delivered the male fetus. She didn’t report a lot of bleeding, but having done these a gajillion times, incisions that are up and down, either right to the side of the belly button, or above it, or below it, actually do not bleed very much because you get right in between those rectus muscles, and you avoid a lot of vessels that way,” Clark explains.

It took her about an hour to complete the emergency surgery. Before passing out, likely from pain and shock, she directed one of her children to get her cousin, who is a local health assistant. The cousin arrived to find the mother still passed out with a gaping wound. Being that the community is so rural, her cousin didn’t have proper sutures, so she used a regular sewing needle and cotton thread to close the mother’s abdomen. The cousin then transported Ramíez in her car to the nearest clinic, 2.5 hours away, to stabilize her before continuing the drive to the hospital, which is eight hours away.

After making it to the hospital, the doctors there were able to perform surgery to make sure nothing was amiss. They repaired her uterus and abdomen 16 hours after she performed her own C-section with a butcher’s knife. The mother healed well, leaving what appears to be a thin scar about six inches long next to her belly button.

People who watched Clark’s video can’t fathom having the strength to do the same thing, with one woman writing, “I’m a nurse and I don’t think I could do this to myself. To someone else, maaaaaybe, but I’m not sure. The nurse who came out and used a needle and thread to sew this lady up was also incredible.”

Newborn baby. Photo credit: Canva

Another says, “Well, when you’re on pregnancy number 9 you’re pretty much a professional. Whatever brand of liquor she drank should hire her to advertise. Never underestimate the power of love, adrenaline and survival instinct.”

Even doctors are impressed: “I have to say, as an OB I am extremely impressed at how straight and nicely done her abdominal incision was.”

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Courtesy of Mats Janzon /TikTok – Leya comes up to Mats Janzon on his kayak for cuddles.

Culture, Heroes, Joy, Pop Culture, Popular

Man who raised and released an orphaned otter films her swimming to his kayak for cuddles

Leya’s bond with her human rescuer is so beautiful.

Annie Reneau

Upworthy Staff

3/16/2026

When Mats Janzon found Leya, she was just a tiny baby curled up alone in the grass near his home in Sweden. Janzon was out on a quiet walk in the woods when he heard a soft peeping sound and saw it was a baby otter. He kept his distance for several hours, hoping her mother would return. When no one came, he searched the area and found that her mother had been killed on a major road nearby. Leya appeared to be starving and barely breathing, and he knew she wouldn’t make it without help.

Janzon had volunteered with animal rescues while working as a pilot in Cyprus, but after moving back to Sweden several years ago, he felt a pull to leave his job and spend more time in nature. “This shift led me to focus on helping wildlife,” Janzon tells Upworthy. “I’ve cared for various animals, mostly birds, that seemed to find me. Huginn, a crow I rescued, stayed with me for three years before he was ready to join his own flock in the wild.”

However, Janzon had never raised an otter before and didn’t know what to do. He was scared, as Leya needed care around the clock, but she began to thrive and quickly bonded with him. She would cry when he left the room and curl up in his lap to feel safe.

“The first time she let me pet her, I remember thinking this can’t be real,” Janzon told the TikTok account SoulPaws Tails. “It felt like a dream, this wild, free otter choosing to trust me.”

Still, Janzon kept second-guessing himself, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Otters are wild animals, and he knew Leya couldn’t stay indoors forever. So, starting with a plastic kiddie pool in the backyard, Janzon helped Leya learn to swim. She was awkward in the water at first, but little by little, day by day, she grew more confident.

Leya followed Janzon everywhere. Soon she became part of the family, which included another rescued crow and a cat. The animals would play hide and seek, chasing one another around the bushes. Janzon says it was like something out of a children’s storybook.

Once Leya was totally comfortable in the water, he took her down to the lake. She looked up at Janzon as if to ask, “What now?” He nodded at her, and she jumped into the water. He realized that in some way he’d become a father to her.

“I named Leya while sitting with her on my lap, gazing out over the lake in a near-meditative state,” Janzon tells Upworthy. “I quietly asked her, ‘Who are you? What should I call you?’ The name Leya popped into my mind, and when I said it aloud, she instantly looked up at me. That’s when I knew it was the name meant for her.”

But as Leya grew, so did her wild instincts. She began to wander farther and stay out longer, and Janzon knew it was time to let her go. He describes it as “a strange kind of love—part pride, part heartbreak” but she started living the life she was meant to live.

“Leya is an old soul, brimming with energy and positivity, always finding opportunities in everything,” Janzon says. “Nothing seems impossible for her. She’s been a true inspiration and a dear friend during my transition from a conventional career to a life focused on something greater, not just working to pay bills, but making a difference by helping all living beings in our community.”

At some point, Leya started staying away for days at a time. But even then, when Janzon was out for a morning kayak ride on the lake, he’d see her nose pop out of the water and start moving towards him. Leya knew he was there and would swim up and climb into the kayak for cuddles and a ride.

Sometimes she’d even bring a snack with her:

And sometimes she’d return after nearly a week away for a little snuggle time:

People love seeing Leya’s bond with her human and Janzon’s peaceful videos that seem like something out of a dream:

“Sorry, which fantasy world is this and can I have the Google maps link to get there?”

“I wish the world could be like this.”

“She’s your significant otter. “

“You are so lucky to be friends with a cute otter who also gets to live her own life. She chooses to be with you. “

“She’s just living her best life and I think you are too – good luck to you and enjoy it. “

Leya and Mats hanging out in his kayak. Courtesy of Mats Janzon

Mats says Leya is officially living her wild life now.

“I last saw Leya at the end of May,” Janzon tells Upworthy. “Initially, we thought she’d find her own territory before winter, but after several long trips, she chose to stay under the house while the lake was frozen. When spring arrived, she resumed her search, staying away for up to 10 days before returning for brief visits, lasting a few hours to a day. Her last visit was unusually long, over a week. I suspect she may have been pregnant, eating heartily to prepare for a longer stay in a new territory farther away.”

Janzon wants people to know that as much as he loves Leya, she’s not a pet. “When an animal trusts you, it creates a bond deeper than words can explain,” he told SoulPaws Tails. “If you’re thinking of adopting or rescuing an animal, especially a wild one, please do it with your whole heart and full responsibility. Do your homework, talk to professionals, ask questions, learn everything you can about animals like Leya. They aren’t pets. They’re living, feeling souls that deserve to be loved and respected for who they are.”

You can follow Mats Janzon and see more videos of Leya on TikTok.

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – (L) An empty well; (R) A firefighter holds a young child

Heroes

After 11 hours, rescuers gave up on the boy in the well. Then a 14-year-old hero stepped in.

The Romanian teen who went headfirst into a well to save a toddler just became a professional firefighter.

Adam Albright-Hanna

3/3/2026

In April 2013, a three-year-old boy named Gabriel fell into a well in the yard of his family’s home in Segarcea, a small town in Dolj County, Romania. The well was about 15 meters deep and barely wide enough for a slender teenager to squeeze through. Professional rescue crews arrived quickly. They tried everything available to them: shovels, a tractor, specialized equipment, different angles of approach. None of it worked. Hours passed.

After eleven hours, according to accounts that circulated widely at the time via CVL Press in Romania, a firefighter finally said aloud what everyone had started to fear: “There’s no more hope. The well is too narrow.”

At that moment, a 14-year-old boy named Cristian Marian Becheanu stepped forward. He was a seventh-grade student from the area, thin enough to fit where the adults could not. He told the crew he wasn’t afraid. He said he would go in.

They strapped a headlamp to his forehead, tied a rope to his ankles, and lowered him into the dark shaft headfirst.

Cristian went down with his arms stretched out in front of him so he could reach Gabriel once he found him. Somewhere in the dark, 15 meters below the surface, he did. When he emerged from the well with the three-year-old alive in his arms, the crowd that had gathered over those eleven hours erupted. Gabriel was taken immediately to hospital, where doctors monitored him for cervical spine injury and signs of oxygen deprivation. He recovered.

Reflecting on what he’d done, Cristian was characteristically understated. “I did what had to be done,” he wrote on Instagram. “I am proud of that act.” He also admitted, in accounts translated from the Romanian press, that he had been afraid at first. “But then I wasn’t,” he said.

Romania celebrated him. Local and regional officials honored Cristian at a ceremony at the Dolj County Prefecture. He received diplomas, a bicycle, a tablet, and a monthly stipend from the Artego Humanitarian Foundation through the end of 2013. Most significantly, county officials pledged support for the thing he said he actually wanted: to become a firefighter. As Alina Ionescu, director of the County Directorate for Sport and Youth, confirmed to CVL Press at the time, the institutions were committed to helping him pursue that path. Cristian is also the only civilian ever to receive the emblem of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, Romania’s highest emergency services honor, as reported by Romanian press in 2021.

He kept his promise. More than a decade after that night in Segarcea, Cristian Marian Becheanu is now Sergeant Major Cristian Marian Becheanu, a professional firefighter and rescuer with ISU Dolj, Dolj County’s official emergency inspectorate. He is married with children of his own.

The video of the rescue has resurfaced online repeatedly over the years, and its current wave of circulation is doing what it always does: stopping people mid-scroll. The details that get people every time are the ones the headlines often skip. That the well was 50 feet deep. That he went in headfirst. That a rope on his ankles was all that connected him to the surface. That two other volunteers stepped up before him, looked into that dark shaft, and decided they couldn’t do it.

Cristian decided he could.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Used with permission from Khushal Yousafzai – Malala Yousafzai and her brother, Khushal, pose for a photo.

Empowered Women, Family, Heroes, Modern Families

Malala Yousafzai’s brother reveals beautiful sentiment about living in his sister’s shadow

“I’m not in my sister’s shadow. I’m in my sister’s light.”

Cecily Knobler

2/19/2026

Malala Yousafzai most certainly has a lot of light. At the young age of 11, she began advocating for education for girls after the Taliban took over her district of Swat in Pakistan. About three years later, she, (alongside two other girls) was shot in the head on a bus for her passionate, outspoken views.

She survived and went on to address the United Nations about the importance of education. From her non-profit’s website, “The U.N. recognized July 12 as Malala Day, in honour of her courageous advocacy and to highlight the global struggle for education. With her father, her ally and inspiration, she established Malala Fund, an organisation dedicated to giving every girl the opportunity to learn and choose her own future.”

Recently, one of her younger brothers, Khushal Yousafzai, was speaking at the Oxford Scholars Program when he was asked if he ever felt “overshadowed” by his sister’s accomplishments. His answer was vulnerable, heartfelt, and lovely. “My sister almost died. Forget her getting the Nobel Prize. Forget her getting the limelight. I would give up my life for you to have a life. Death puts things into perspective like nothing else does.”

He pauses and asks, “Why would her success take anything away from me? I’m not in my sister’s shadow. I’m in my sister’s light. And Rumi has this beautiful quote: ‘A candle doesn’t lose its light when it lights up another candle.’ It actually makes the world a brighter place. It lights up the whole room.”

He continues with the message of supporting the people you love. “So guys, uplift each other. If you see your friend, uplift them. Because guess what? We all are gonna die someday. And your friends, I’m sure they mean a lot to you. And at times, there is that feeling of jealousy. You don’t want to be going to their funeral and telling their parents how amazing they were. Because guess what? It’s too late. So tell them while they’re still alive. You don’t want to live with that, so uplift people while they’re still here.”

Khushal speaks frequently to students about his journey. He is also a fierce advocate for education and finding the fuel to live life to its fullest. From the bio he shared with Upworthy: “Through his educational platform, Yousafzai Academy, he mentors students about personal and academic growth, learning from setbacks, and leadership.”

Many in the Instagram comments are beautifully supportive and touched by his words. “So beautiful to see his immense love for his sister shared so honestly, vulnerably, and without any hint of shame or resentment. And the Rumi quote is just so perfect. ❤”

Another notes that his wisdom isn’t surprising, considering that his whole family is involved in activism. “This family has got all the right things going on! What a gift to the world.”

This person was moved by his words, especially by the idea of uplifting people while there’s still time. “Wisdom. Beautiful. Fabulous. What a family! Uplift your friends. Uplift people while they are still here. Yes!”

And this commenter deduces from his clip that the trauma their family has been through has created a thoughtful empath. “You have a high level of empathy 🙏🏽💕. Only people who have come close to death know the depth of your words and the bond you share with your sister.”

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva Photos & Parliament Speakers Limited/Wikimedia Commons – Sprinter Derek Redmond made Olympic history after injuring his hamstring during a semi-finals run in 1992.

Heroes, Joy

In 1992, an Olympic sprinter got hurt during the race of his life. Then his dad stormed the track.

No one was going to stop Jim Redmond from getting to his son.

Evan Porter

2/10/2026

Starting in the mid to late 1980s, Derek Redmond was one of Great Britain’s top sprinters. One of his greatest accomplishments was helping to guide his team to a shocking victory over the United States at the 1991 World Championships. However, Olympic success eluded him due to injuries that forced him to pull out of the games in 1988.
But 1992 was going to be his year. The summer Olympics were being held in Barcelona and, despite all the surgeries and rehab he went through leading up to the events, Redmond was well-positioned to earn a medal for his country.
In the quarter-finals of the men’s 400m sprint, his chosen event, Redmond actually posted a personal best time and easily won his heat. That meant he got to move on to the semi-finals. If he could post a similar time in that trial, he’d be up for medal contention in the finals.

The 1992 Olympics were held in Barcelona. Photo by Douglas Schneiders on Unsplash

Redmond’s semi-final race got off to a fast start, but with about 250m left to go in the race, tragedy struck. Redmond was spotted on camera slowing up and clutching the back of his right hamstring. It had torn. He was unable to run, and collapsed to the ground in pain. His Olympic dream was over once again.
Redmond was a proud competitor, however, and managed to peel himself off the track. He began to hobble and limp toward the finish line, determined not to earn a “Did Not Finish” disqualification. And that’s when an Olympic legend was born.
Redmond’s father, Jim, was caught on live television storming the track. Training and security personnel tried to restrain him, but there was no stopping this dad. He made it to his son and gave Derek a shoulder to lean on as both men stumbled toward the finish. Again, security tried to remove Jim, but he waved them off.

With his father’s support, Derek Redmond broke down in a powerful display of emotion. The physical pain likely couldn’t compare to the agony of watching his Olympic dream go up in smoke again. Still, the two men pressed on, and yet another Olympic official tried to intervene and was yet again waved off by the determined dad.
Eventually, the Redmonds were able to cross the finish line together to the roar of a standing ovation from the nearly sixty-five thousand spectators watching.
Unfortunately, Derek was still disqualified from the race as he had assistance in finishing. But that official Olympic record does not diminish his accomplishment, which continues to live on as one of the greatest Olympic moments of all time—even being officially recognized by the Olympics as such.

The moment was so powerful because it underscored the sacrifices made by both athletes and their parents. They train their whole lives for often just one opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage. When it goes wrong, the results can be devastating. Win or lose, the parents are right there with them. Olympic fathers like Jim Redmond make immense sacrifices for their children to be able to chase their dreams, often spending a fortune on equipment and training, giving up career opportunities, family vacations, personal hobbies, friendships, and more to carve out enough time. Famously, gymnast Gabby Douglas spent two years living with a host family across the country from her parents so she could be closer to a top trainer. Other Olympic families spend $60-100,000 per year in training and equipment fees for their budding stars.
All the sacrifice and hope is on display in just this one short clip. The athletic displays at the Olympics are amazing to behold, but what we really fall in love with are the stories of persistence and perseverance, and there’s none better than the story of the Redmonds.
Derek Redmond rehabbed relentlessly after his injury but ultimately had to give up running—though he did enjoy a run as a professional basketball player before retiring from athletics altogether. His father, Jim, passed away in 2022, ten years after being honored as a torchbearer for the 2012 Olympics.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – Rescue team on the shore.

Heroes, Joy

Brave 13-year-old swam 2.5 miles to shore, battling 4 hours to save his family swept out to sea

“I don’t think I am a hero—I just did what I did.”

Emily Shiffer

2/8/2026

A family in Australia is hailing their 13-year-old son as a hero after he saved their lives following a kayaking and paddleboarding expedition that saw them quickly drift miles off shore. Austin Appelbee bravely left his family (mother Joanne, brother Beau and sister Grace) floating in the waters of Western Australia on Friday, Jan. 30 to seek help in. The nearest land was almost four miles away.
“The wind picked up and it went from there,” Joanne Appelbee told BBC News. “We lost oars, and we drifted out further…. It kind of all went wrong very, very quickly.”
With every moment dragging the family further into the ocean, Joanne had to make a gut-wrenching decision: to ask Austin to attempt to swim ashore for help, knowing he may not survive.

A mother’s gut-wrenching decision
With conditions worsening and daylight fading, Joanne had to make one of the most difficult choices of her life.
“One of the hardest decisions I ever had to make was to say to Austin, ‘Try to get to shore and get some help, this could get really serious really quickly,’” she told the ABC News. “I knew he was the strongest and he could do it. I would have never went because I wouldn’t have left the kids at sea, so I had to send somebody.”
According to a statement from the WA Police Force, Austin “alerted authorities after he decided to return to shore in fading light and rough conditions. He paddled a short distance before his kayak took on water and swam approximately four kilometers (about two nautical miles) before reaching land.”
Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland added that Austin swam for the first two hours with a life jacket on, calling his swimming “superhuman.” “And the brave fella thought he’s not going to make it with a life jacket on, so he ditched it, and he swam the next two hours without a life jacket,” he explained to ABC News.

The family had been stranded at sea for 10 hours when a rescue helicopter spotted Joanne and her two children clinging to a paddle board 8.5 miles offshore. A “volunteer marine rescue vessel was directed to their location and all three were successfully rescued and returned to shore.”
Joanne is also being hailed a hero for tethering herself and her kids to the paddleboard as they floated further and further out. “We kept positive, we were singing, and we were joking and … we were treating it as a bit of a game until the sun started to go down, and that’s when it was getting very choppy [with] very big waves,” she said. “As the sun went down, I thought something’s gone terribly wrong here and my fear was that [Austin] didn’t make it. Then, as it got darker, yeah, I thought there was no one coming to save us. It was the end, it was definitely the end.”

Austin Appelbee speaks
Austin shared more about his heroic battle to save his family.
“I started paddling to shore on the kayak … but it kept taking on water and I was fighting rough seas and then I thought I saw something in the water and I was really scared,” he shared with ABC News. “I was trying to get the happiest things in my head, and trying to make it through, [and not think of] the bad things that will distract me.”
Mentally, he had to keep himself locked in.
“And at this time, you know, the waves are massive, and I have no life jacket on … I just kept thinking ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming,” he added. “And then I finally made it to shore, and I hit the bottom of the beach, and I just collapsed.”
However, the physical challenge was not over. Once he made it to land, Austin had to run two kilometers (about 1.25 miles) to the family’s parked car to call authorities on his mom’s cell phone.
“I said, ‘I need helicopters, I need planes, I need boats, my family’s out at sea.’ I was very calm about it,” he said, adding that “nice ladies on the beach” were able to offer him food before he “just passed out.”
Days later, Austin was using crutches to help him walk on incredibly sore legs. Despite the physical exertion and trauma, he remained humble about the ordeal.
“I don’t think I am a hero—I just did what I did,” he told BBC News.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – A delivery driver with a determined expression; a house on fire.

Heroes, Joy

‘Remarkable’ UPS driver runs into burning home to save 101-year-old woman

“I just did what I thought was right.”

Heather Wake

2/4/2026

Fate often tests our courage at the most unexpected times. For UPS driver Willy Esquivel, that moment came on January 15 while he was completing a delivery in Orange County, California.
According to KTLA, Esquivel was on his routine route in Santa Ana when he noticed neighbors attempting to smother a blaze coming from the condo of Ann Edwards, a 101-year-old woman who lives alone.
Esquivel wasted no time entering the smoke-filled building to rescue Edwards, who seemed “very disoriented” and reluctant to leave. Nevertheless, Esquivel “picked her up and carried her safely outside,” according to KTLA and a statement from the Orange County Fire Authority (OFCA).
A video posted on the OFCA’s X account showed just how thick the smoke was pouring from Edwards’ condo as firefighters arrived. The OFCA also acknowledged the resourceful neighbors who aided in the rescue.

“At the same time, the neighbors used fire extinguishers to knock down the kitchen fire,” the OCFA wrote on X. “One of them, a roofer by trade, grabbed his ladder, climbed to the roof, and used a garden hose to spray water into the kitchen vent.”
Thankfully, while Edwards was taken to the hospital, she was expected to make a full recovery. Her son, Rick, told KTLA that he was grateful to Esquivel for “sticking with her and getting her out of there.”
As for Esquivel, rather than seeing himself as a hero, he told KTLA that he was “just a UPS driver who was in the right place at the right time.”
“I just did what I thought was right,” he added. “At the end of the day, she’s someone’s mother, someone’s grandmother, great-grandmother.”

Moments like this rarely announce themselves ahead of time. They unfold in the middle of ordinary days, on familiar streets, while people are simply doing their jobs or moving through their routines. Delivery drivers like Esquivel travel through neighborhoods every day, often unnoticed, yet uniquely positioned to sense when something is wrong. On this day, being present and paying attention made all the difference.
Just as striking as Esquivel’s bravery was the way neighbors instinctively sprang into action. Without hesitation, they grabbed fire extinguishers, ladders, and garden hoses, each contributing whatever they had in the moment. Together, their quick thinking and collaboration helped prevent an even greater tragedy.
“A remarkable outcome made possible by quick action, teamwork, and people looking out for one another in a moment of need,” the OCFA wrote on X.
A remarkable outcome made possible by quick action, teamwork, and people looking out for one another in a moment of need.

Thank you @OrangeCityFire and @SantaAnaPD for the assistance!
— OCFA (@OCFireAuthority) January 16, 2026

It’s easy to assume someone else will step in. That it’s not your fight. That it’s not your responsibility. Heroism requires the opposite mindset. And at a time when the world can feel increasingly short on that quality, this story is a refreshing reminder that yes, there are still good people out there willing to help, even when it means helping complete strangers while on the job.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: CBS Evening News/YouTube – Agatha Burgess cooked all day, five days a week, for anyone who showed up.

Heroes, Joy

People love this 1983 clip of a southern grandma feeding her community from her modest kitchen

“I always get what I want, but I know what to want,” she said.

Annie Reneau

1/28/2026

History remembers extraordinary people who accomplish great things, lead big movements, create new inventions, and make an indelible mark on the world. But what about the individuals who dedicate their time and energy to making their local community, however small, a better place?
Those everyday heroes rarely get lauded in posterity, but thanks to human interest stories, some people get the flowers they never asked for long after they’re gone. Enter Agatha Burgess, an 80-year-old grandmother who, in 1983, had a visit from CBS Evening News as she went about her normal weekday business of feeding her community, simply because she could.

In the footage from the archives, Burgess is shown bopping about her modest kitchen, where she’s been working since 5:00 a.m. She’s surrounded by pans and tins and bowls, which she’s using to make corn muffins, rice, dressing, peach cobbler, and more for residents of her small town of Buffalo, South Carolina. She’s done this for 15 years, not as a business, but as a service to her community. She said she didn’t have any desire for a “big, fine home” and that she’d always wanted to “live by the side of the road and be a friend to man.”
“I always get what I want, but I know what to want,” she said.
Some meals were sent out to shut-ins in the community, delivered by Meals on Wheels volunteers. She made sure those meals were always ready by 11:00 a.m. After that, people also came to her home to get a meal. If they were able, they’d drop $2.75 per meal into a box on the side table to cover the costs, even making their own change on the honor system. But no one was ever turned away if they couldn’t pay.

Apparently, Agatha Burgess's corn muffins were legendary. Photo credit: Canva

Burgess didn’t have a large home, so people would crowd into her dining room and kitchen to eat the home-cooked meals she made single-handedly. After people had eaten and left, she would do the dishes and start on her baking for the next day. This was her life from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., five days a week.
Why? Because she loved doing it. She said, “This guy asked me the other day, said, ‘Miss Burgess, why don’t you stop and rest?’ I said, ‘What would I have to live for?’ Because these people come in every day. They mean so much to me. I just love. I fall in love with people.”
Her sister said she might end up regretting the honor box, that someone would end up ripping her off. But Burgess said that God had always taken care of her, and if someone stole from the box, God would take care of them, too.

Burgess’s quote about being “a friend to man” comes from the poem “The House By The Side Of The Road” by Sam Walter Foss, the last stanza of which reads:
Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish – so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner’s seat,
Or hurl the cynic’s ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
People loved hearing about Burgess’s extraordinary retirement in the resurfaced clip from the CBS News archives:
“She has the best attitude about life. She is so grateful for what she has.”
“This is one of the most wholesome things I’ve ever seen.”

“‘I don’t want your big fine home. But I’m glad you got it.’ There’s beauty in being content with what you have, and being happy for people. What a sweet lady.”
“‘I always get everything I want, but I know what to want’ might be the wisest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What a wonderful woman. My dad used to eat there for lunch while working his first job out of college. God bless.”
“I’m a grown man and I’m sitting here watching this crying. I know you’re no longer with us, but God bless you, Agatha. Did you ever realize all the lives you blessed?”
Burgess died in 1992 at the age of 89. Though she didn’t spend nearly two decades cooking for friend and stranger alike in order to get praise or accolades, there’s something truly beautiful about people seeing her service over four decades later and giving her the flowers she deserved.

Keep Reading →